Chattering felines may be trying to sniff out situation

by Clay Thompson - Jan. 6, 2010 12:00 AMThe Arizona Republic

Today's question:

I don't want to sound like a "crazy cat lady," but my cats watch the birds every day through our front window, and they do the funniest thing. But I cannot figure out why they do it. It looks to me like "cackling." They look as if they are meowing really fast, yet nothing comes out that makes any kind of sound. Could you tell me what this behavior means and why cats do this?

Most people call it "chattering" instead of cackling, but if cackling works for you, that's fine.

This is a common thing among cats, especially indoor cats that spend their time on the window sill watching birds come and go.

The chattering is kind of a loud purr with the sound of the cat gnashing its teeth. It's louder in some cats than others.

Nobody knows for 100 percent certain just why cats do this.

One idea is that the sound is similar to that of the bite to the neck that cats in the wild use to finish off their supper as quickly as possible. Young cats will practice this when they are roughhousing with their littermates.

What puzzles me is the part about no sounds coming out of your cats. Are you sure? How can you call it cackling if there is no sound?

One possibility: Cats have a terrific sense of smell that includes a special organ in the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson's organ. Sometimes you'll see a cat sort of open its mouth and kind of grimace to get scents up to that organ and analyze the chemicals involved.

But you would think your cats would be smart enough to know they aren't going to smell anything through a closed window.